LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC - Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts will present the Sheriff’s Award, the highest honor that the sheriff can bestow, to Jesse Asmus with Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Co., Elaine Henderson with Heroes Vest Fund and Dr. Amy Spies with Crossroads Animal Hospital.

Metts will present the Sheriff’s Award to Asmus, Henderson and Spies at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27 during a quarterly Lexington County Sheriff’s Department Employee Awards and Promotions Ceremony that will be held at the Lexington County Council chambers on the second floor of the Lexington County Administration Building, 212 South Lake Drive, Lexington.

Metts will recognize Asmus for coordinating Colonial Life & Accident Insurance’s donation of used office furniture to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Asmus measured work spaces, designed office layouts and made arrangements for appropriate used office furniture to be delivered to Sheriff’s Department offices from the insurance company’s warehouse.

“Jesse’s willingness to go the extra mile is demonstrated by his hands-on assistance in traveling to work sites, where he assembled and installed furniture at Sheriff’s Department offices,” Metts said. “Colonial Life & Accident Insurance made furniture available for donation to our agency, but Jesse made it happen.”

Metts will recognize Henderson for founding Heroes Vest Fund, a non-profit group that has donated four body armor vests to police dogs with the Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit.

Each body armor vest costs $2,100, Henderson said. Heroes Vest Fund has donated four vests worth a total of $8,400 to the Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit.

Henderson founded Heroes Vest Fund with the intent to provide body armor vests for all police dogs that work with law enforcement agencies in South Carolina, Metts said. In order to raise money to buy the body armor vests, Henderson organized the creation of a 2011 calendar that featured deputies and police dogs with the Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit. Henderson also organized a bass fishing tournament and Vest Fest music festival.

“Members of our agency’s K-9 Unit are very appreciative of Elaine and the citizens who donated money to Heroes Vest Fund,” Metts said. “This specialized equipment, which is difficult to buy through the normal governmental budget process, protects police dogs that help fulfill our agency’s mission of providing professional law enforcement services that enhance the quality of life for all people in Lexington County.”

Metts will recognize Spies for her work in providing veterinarian services for police dogs with the Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit and her dedication in soliciting donations to buy a body armor vest for K-9 Ronin, who works with K-9 Unit Sgt. Derek Applegate, and a body armor vest for K-9 Gunter, who works with K-9 Deputy Adam Clayton. Ronin’s vest was donated in memory of K-9 Spyro. Gunter’s vest was donated in memory of K-9 Bas.

“Dr. Spies makes herself and her home available to our agency’s police dogs and K-9 Unit deputies at all hours of the day and night,” Metts said. “Dr. Spies routinely responds to calls for medical assistance for the police dogs. She does so even after normal business hours, which eliminates the expense of taking the police dogs to an emergency veterinary hospital.”

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